WanderingellimaC

Go NINERS - but please be polite

2012-01-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

What is it about sports that makes people simultaneously bonded together loving people they might never otherwise interact with and complete asses?

When I wear a red San Francisco hat or t-shirt or sweat-shirt or beer holster (don't laugh, I ACTUALLY have one of those) people will stop me on the street to give me a high-five or a hug or talk shop or just smile and tell me how awesome I am. Because we are bonded in our mutual love of the greatest team on the face of the planet. I mean, it does not even make sense sometimes. I could be perusing online dating profiles and if a guy says that he is a 49er fan, I sometimes don't even finish reading and just shoot him a message. He could very well have admitted that he owns 47 cats, lives with his mother and listens exclusively to heavy metal - and I would look over ALL that stuff because he is a 49er fan!

But it also makes people complete asses. For example, my dad and I were desperately trying to get tickets to the game today. Granted, we probably should not have tired to get tickets to SUCH a popular game, I get it. But what was frustrating is that the tickets sold out before they even went on sale (figure that one out). But not to loyal and dedicated fans that wanted to actually GO to the game. To greedy jerks that wanted to make a profit. Immediately after the game sold out I went to NFL ticket exchange and there were OVER 6,000 tickets for resale and the cheapest ones were close to $450 for the nosebleeds. WHAT? Come on! Aren't we all in this together? Are you the same people that stop me on the street to talk about our mutual love of Davis, Crabtree and Willis and how we need to learn to score touchdowns rather than relying on Akers kicking? Why can't you sell the ticket to me for face value just for the LOVE OF THE GAME? For our mutual love of the Niners? It only seems right. We both bleed red (I guess that's actually true…literally and metaphorically).

I had a friend that went to the game last weekend, but as a Saints fan (I know, we can't all be perfect). But apparently he and his family were treated HORRIBLY by 49er fans. There were some Saints fans that even wrote in to the San Francisco paper about it. It got so bad that there are Cops that are going undercover as Giants fans today in case fans get out of control. And they are giving Giants fans cards with information on how to contact security in case they feel threatened. What? That's out of control. We should all be able to civilly watching a football game together. I know we have our teams that we love - but there is no reason to yell out to someone's teenage daughter "your mother's a whore" and then tell him he should not bring his daughter to sporting events cause it is no place for little girls. When did football turn into this? Those 49er fans SHOULD be embarrassed - lots of fans that have lost sight of the excitement of the game should.

Football, and any sporting event for that matter, should be about the joy and excitement of the game and the community it creates. When we let it get so out of hand that it controls our emotions and drives us to threaten or belittle someone else we need to check and see if we are being a fan or just an ass that is too wrapped up in something that isn't really as big as we've made it out to be.

Watch the game. Enjoy the game. But keep it in perspective.

And Go Niners!

Editors Note: As an addition - threatening Kyle Williams life after tonight's game, is ALSO a great way to prove that you take sports TOO seriously and are a terrible terrible fan.

Kidney Bean Soup

2012-01-17T19:26:00.000-08:00

I had a couple cans of kidney beans from when I was on the 4 Hour Body kick. I am still sort of on it, but I really do not like beans, so I am trying to find out creative ways to get rid of the beans that have been sitting on my shelf for a year now. So I decided tonight to get rid of my kidney beans.

I found a couple of recipes online but none of them were quite right, so I combine a bunch of the ideas and came up with my own soup.

And not to toot my own horn, but I AM AMAZING. you need to eat this.

Put some olive oil in a big pot (also, when i cook, i typically do not measure things, so all of this is just a guess cause I just started throwing things in a pan)
Add half an onion. Cook until onion is translucent.
Add four cloves of garlic.

Add one can of broth (I used beef broth because that I what I had at home, but I think chicken or vegetable would work just as well)
Add one can of water
Add two cans of kidney beans
Add one can of diced tomatoes.

Add some chopped broccoli
Add some chopped celery

Add two TBSP of dijon mustard
Add some italian seasoning
Add salt and pepper to taste

Simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
Add some fresh spinach and cook another 5 minutes.

I put some avocado on the top as a garnish and it was delicious!

I am trying to figure out why I don’t like church

2012-01-10T11:22:00.000-08:00

I once read an article that shared the top five things people confess or regret on their deathbeds and one of them was “I wish I were more authentic or honest about what I really thought.” That resonated with me because I think lots of thoughts and I don’t like to share them except with my very best friends because I think a lot of those thoughts I am not supposed to have. Does that make sense? Well, maybe it does and maybe it does not - but it is how I feel. But I’ve decided to think what I think and share those thoughts regardless of how I think others are going to react. So here is my first shot at that. I don’t like church. I know I am supposed to, because every good Christian girl does, but I don’t. Authenticity wins over perception.

I am trying to figure out why I don’t like church. Because it seems weird to me. I grew up in the church, and I don’t feel any bitterness or resentment for the time that I spent there. And I really love God and feel I have a good “relationship” with God (although I struggle to know what a “relationship” with the divine actually looks like…but that is a conversation for another day). But I can’t figure it out. Maybe if I talk it out a bit and type out my jumbled ideas stream of thought it might become clearer (NOTE: that might make this miserable to read!)

Perhaps it is because people and relationships seem inauthentic. Church is supposed to be where you go to deal with your ish. To face a God that is both just and full of grace. To bring all that you are and say: this is me; the good the bad and the ugly. And what do you know? I’m not the only crazy one! There are others like me that struggle with this stuff but that are also beautiful and poetic and artistic and try to see the beauty in the world and make it a better place.

The one time I can remember in the recent past LOVING church was a house church I was part of. We called it “coffee church.” Each home took turns hosting. If you were hosing you got up early, cleaned your place, made the coffee and opened your house up to whoever wanted to come over that morning. And what did we do? We chatted. About life. About God. About nothing. About everything. We got to know one another. We cared about each other. It wasn’t anything even remotely organized or resembling a “real” church – but it was perfect. I was more real and authentic with that group of people than I have ever been in an institutionalized church because we got to know each other. We were in a community which meant we were in each other’s lives outside of one hour a week on Sunday’s. We genuinely cared about each other and what went on in our lives.

But that does not happen in church. In church – you have to have it all together. Don’t believe me? Bring a homeless person with you to church and see how everyone squirms. Bring a prostitute and see how much everyone whispers. Bring someone going through alcohol or drug withdrawal twitching a lot and see people anxious and kept back.

Everyone tries to keep it together at church – to prove that they are the best Christian. And when you go to the churches that are the kind of places you can admit that you are an alcoholic or sex addict or struggling with something it is almost a contest to see WHO is the biggest sinner. Who has struggled most and overcome it and has the tattoos to prove how far they have come?

Or perhaps I do not like church because the worship feels inauthentic.

I have always gone to non-liturgical churches that are not exactly charismatic but friendly to the spirit and not afraid of turning down the lights, setting the mood and plucking at your heart strings with the worship leaders guitar. And for some reason that just gets under my skin now. I literally start to itch, my stomach gets nauseated and I start overheating. I am not sure when this reaction started and why, I just know that this environment is no longer conducive to worship for me. It is almost like I feel manipulated.

In a liturgical church I know that it could still be seen as putting on a show since things are so programmed, but it does not feel that way. To me it feels like I am stepping into history, into a legacy, into a heritage of forefathers and foremothers that have gone before me. I am singing their songs and reading their words of testimony to the great God they sought to love and understand. I love that feeling of entering into a greater story. Of singing and chanting these historical words – it makes modern worship songs feel almost empty and shallow. I understand that they are not – and they move a great number of people in mighty ways, just not me…

Spencer Burke, founder of The Ooze and Mission Planting once said “sometimes to really love the church you have to walk away from her” and I think that’s what I’ve had to do in these last couple of years. I love God, a lot, and I have not lost faith in the church – I just don’t know how to love her and still be part of her at the same time right now. I don’t doubt that will happen again, I just have to be patient with the journey and learn something in the meantime.

I guess that’s all I have for now…maybe I’ll process more on the church later.

Oaks Gourmet

2011-10-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

Tonight we made another stop on the Burger Tour 11-12!

Tonight we went to The Oaks Gourmet. Um....amazing.

It is a market, and has barely any seating, but everything on the menu looks and smells amazing. And the burger did NOT disappoint.

The Dry Aged Burger
A half poud of our dry aged blend with taleggio cheese, black forest bacon, red onion, tomato, baby arugula, and our smoked jalapeno-pineapple compote on toasted brioche

WHAT???!!! you won't even believe what hit your mouth. it jumped right up to our number one spot. GO THERE.

Also, as a side note: it is a really really great place to people-watch.

Lentil Stew with Sausage

2011-10-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

Some friends and I are trying a new diet called the Four Body Diet where we can't eat any carbs, fruit or dairy (pretty much anything good!). But we can eat as much beans, meat and vegetables we want.

So my roommate and I have found some creative recipes that we can make that taste good and don't break any rules.

Last night we made a Lentil Stew with Sausage

1 tbsp. olive oil
2 onions chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 carrots, coarsely chopped or sliced
1 lb smoked beer sausage, sliced (we used ground pork sausage)
1 lb. lentils rinsed and drained
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (we used both)
1 tsp. dried sage (we used italian seasoning)
1 tsp. dried thype (we used italian seasoning)
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. fresh kale or spinach, stems trimmed, leaves chopped (we used spinach and did not chop the leaves cause I did not read that part)

In a 6 to 8-quart pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute onions, garlic and carrots until soft, abut 10 minutes. Add sausage, lentils, brother, italian seasoning, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until lentils are barely tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in spinach. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes or until lentils are tender. Ladle into soup bowls.

Makes 8 servings.

It was simple and really delicious. And the leftovers are JUST AS GOOD!!!

Purpose

2011-10-03T14:38:00.001-07:00

Every so often when we hit the streets on a Friday night, we feel like our purpose is crystal clear. We always know why we are out on the street, what message we want to communicate and how we want to share the love of God with these women. But at times it is easy to get discouraged: do they really hear us? Do they believe? Will they remember even though we didn't get a chance to talk to them for very long?

Friday night Ben, Lindsay and I met up at 1:30a. We spent some time in prayer as we usually do - but this time our prayer was specifically asking that we would run into a woman that really needed to hear from God. That needed to be encouraged or challenged and met on the streets tonight, the woman that wanted to speak with us because she was at that place where she was breaking.

And that is exactly what God did.

The very first woman we say after driving down the track for about three blocks was BI. She was on the phone, as usual, and seemed in a hurry to get somewhere. When we approached her to give her a bag she looked confused. She asked what it was for and why we were talking to her. We said we were out here talking to the ladies - that we wanted to let her know how deeply God loves her and that he has big plans for her life if she ever wants to get out of this.

BI had an almost scared look on her face as she began shaking her head and saying "You've GOT to be kidding me!" over and over again.

She proceeded to tell us that she was on the phone with her sister and had just been talking about how she was scared and tired and wanted to get out of the game. She was done. She wanted a change. She has two kids and didn't want them to have to grow up in fear and watching their mom come home with bruises, watching her have to sell her body to make a living and making them susceptible to the violence of the pimp that controlled her life.

We walked with her down the street for a while because she was uncomfortable standing in one place, she felt like she was being followed. And eventually gave her a ride to the metro station so she could go get off the street and home to her kids.

She was not ready to seek help at the moment - she was too scared of her pimps retaliation or what would happen to her kids - but we left her with our phone number as well as the number to three rehab centers around Los Angeles that she could seek help from.

We were able to pray with her, talk to her about how beautiful and special and unique she is and how much God truly truly LOVES her.

It was not a coincidence that we ran into BI Friday night - that she was at the end of her rope hoping for a way out and God brought a way to her.

We ended up spending around an hour with her. What a privilege to step into life with her, pray with her, love her, cry with her and seek to share a glimpse of hope with her in the midst of a really scary time.

Pray with us that BI has the courage to make a change in her life - that she would not give into fear but she would choose to pick up the phone and get some help.

August 24...food!

2011-08-24T22:02:00.001-07:00

Ipp and I had an Anthony Bourdain marathon tonight. So much good food! So many exciting places! Makes me want to travel.

We knew we'd get inspired (and hungry!) so we decided to cook up a bunch of fun appetizers to snack on.

One of the things we made was brioche! with goat cheese, honey and figs. We got the recipe from Lizzo and Robert. Totally easy and delicious.

August 13th - party time!

2011-08-13T23:33:00.000-07:00

what a FUN NIGHT celebrating Robin and Ben turning 30! so many fun jokes and roasts and toasts and talents. i could not imagine living in a more encouraging, fun, talented and hilarious community. what a great time to be alive...

August 4th...bone marrow

2011-08-04T22:21:00.001-07:00

I went on a date tonight with a guy I met online. Really nice...SUPER intense...kinda weird.
He ordered bone marrow as part of our dinner ...bizarreness. I still can't decide if I like it or not.

August 2nd...pranked again!

2011-08-02T20:05:00.001-07:00

I was pranked AGAIN!! This is unacceptable.

August 1st...prank!

2011-08-01T19:31:00.001-07:00

I've been pranked! Revenge is mine!

July 31st...kimchi

2011-07-31T19:24:00.001-07:00

I am trying a recipe for homemade kimchi. Super excited! I'll let you know how it turns out...once I let it ferment for a week :)

July 29th...on the move

2011-07-30T04:35:00.001-07:00

July 27...she-date

2011-07-27T21:26:00.000-07:00

happy hour date with cha. yes, please.

July 26th...garden veggies

2011-07-26T19:28:00.001-07:00

Garden Veggies are the best! Karla planted a garden and then left for the summer so now I get to water it and eat it all. Yummmm!

July 25th...simon

2011-07-25T20:58:00.000-07:00

happy hour with simon = some talking, lots of tweeting...mostly to eachother.
#wearelosers
#someonethrewuponcharissa
#ilovethebachelorette

July 24th - katie herzig

2011-07-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

another lazy summer evening listening to free music at a concert in the park. *sigh. i love summer, i love pasadena, i love my life.

July 23rd...bag lady

2011-07-23T21:56:00.000-07:00

i may or may not own too many purses. okay....so i own too many purses. so tonight i decided i needed to get rid of a few of them before i grow old and turn into the bag lady. before i drop them off at goodwill i decided to see if any of you lovely people wanted them. they are all in great condition because i own so many i barely ever use these!! *sigh.
if you want one of them - let me know! i'm just giving them away for free. sorry these are pretty terrible pictures of them all, but it was the best i could do at 9p while cleaning my room :)
Message me (if you're reading this on FB), email me, or leave a comment if you want one of them.

Originally from Old Navy - big enough to be a computer bag.

No idea where this originally came from.

So cute and fun - perfect for a night out. Can't fit much.

really pink. and really fun.

Bought this in the Czech Republic - almost didn't put it up here to give away cause I just LOVE it...but I also never use it :(

no clue where I got this either - but it is simple and small.

This purse is CRAZY. Was a fun gift from my mom but I am not cool enough to ever pull it off.

July 22nd...gift bags

2011-07-22T20:43:00.001-07:00

Spent the evening making gift bags for the women. And now we get to go out and give them away. Hoping for good conversations and connections.

July 21st...Concert in the park

2011-07-21T21:43:00.001-07:00

I enjoyed a lovely evening with the fabulous Kaytee talking and eating and laughing. We joined some friends at the Levitt Pavillion for a free Carla Morrison concert and some other chick that was actually pretty bad.
All in all a pretty perfect evening. I love my happy little city of Pasadena and my lovely friend Kaytee.

July 20th...EDDIE IZZARD

2011-07-20T19:13:00.001-07:00

Eddie Izzard at the Hollywood Bowl. THAT'S WHAT'S UP!

July 19th - Missing Nepal

2011-07-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

I'm missing Nepal tonight...too long since I've been there.

July 18 - grocery fail

2011-07-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

i went to the grocery store with 6 things on my list...and i didn't get two of them.

FAIL.

July 17 - switch up

2011-07-17T22:29:00.000-07:00

before....

and

...after

Did I cut my hair or did Jen dye hers? I guess we'll never know.... (but I will say Jen would look super hot with dark hair!)

I had a lovely dinner this evening with Jen and Harris who are packing up to abandon me this week. I hate saying goodbye - I hate it when friends move. But I am so so so so proud of Harris getting into this PhD program and excited about what the future holds for them. And I guess this means I might get to visit TX for the first time ever!

July 16th...a walk

2011-07-16T18:46:00.001-07:00

Tonight I took a little walk with the Gavinator.

July 15…the next great horror film

2011-07-15T21:43:00.001-07:00

Attack of the birds...poop is falling from the sky (a.k.a...a bird pooped on my head today. )

July 14th - safety first

2011-07-14T17:42:00.000-07:00

today fuller did a little drill in safety preparedness. kludt and i were actors who played victims in a giant earthquake so those on the safety committee could practice search and rescue.

kludt had a large (not not severe) head wound. and a deadly sucking chest wound.

i had no visible injuries (other than a little scratch on my arm) but my 3month old was not breathing, had no pulse and was unconscious.

here was where they brought kludt out to the medical center to tend to his wounds. it was actually a freaky simulation. i hope we never have to go through the real thing!

July 13th - pictures

2011-07-13T20:52:00.000-07:00

if you forget your camera at work so you can't upload your picture of the day to your laptop - just take a picture of your room with your macbook's photobooth. check.

i love my wall of photos. all of them painted, drawn, snapped or from those i love most in the world.

July 12th - chatting

2011-07-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

on a slow tuesday afternoon - facetime is what sees you through. i've never been so caught up on my friends lives! i love technology!

July 11th...more Haven

2011-07-11T20:16:00.001-07:00

In case you forgot...I love Haven.

July 10th...lazy

2011-07-10T21:06:00.001-07:00

This is sunday.
And these are cramps.

July 9th....the jouney of a beard

2011-07-09T17:59:00.000-07:00

matt has a full man beard.
he decided to shave said beard.
it was shaved off in gross...disturbing...don't-ever-do-that-to-your-face-on-a-permanent-basis stages.
i share that with you now.
please, join me....on a journey from fullness to scruff - the journey of matt's beard.
Also, I apologize in advance for forgetting to take a "before" picture.


A little trim down the middle - gotta leave the soul patch!...also, as a side note: I am fairly certain if Matt ever committed a crime the LAPD would ask to borrow this photo to use as his mug shot.

All the middle gone - just leaving the almighty chops. Matt called this one the "Charles Dickens"

Just the fu manchu mustache...frightening.

Now just the creeper nasty stache. Only made creepier by the creeper smile. Well done, Matt.

And the world wept because another beautiful man beard was gone. What nice teeth you have, Matt - now that we notice you have teeth without all that beard in the way!

July 8th...blast from the past

2011-07-08T17:51:00.000-07:00

Ipp and I had lunch at In-n-Out with some old church buddies.

July 7th...LINES!!!

2011-07-07T18:03:00.001-07:00

I hate lines.

July 6th - Customer in Training

2011-07-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

Do you think I am so bad at grocery shopping and hate it so much because I was never trained as well as this little boy is going to be?

July 5th

2011-07-05T21:42:00.000-07:00

did you know that mouse kills tiger?

July 4th

2011-07-04T22:58:00.000-07:00

I have decided to stop numbering my pictures because, well, i won't get up to 365 since i skipped most of june - and it was getting confusing to keep track of (don't ask me why, just trust me). so i will just label each day by the day that it is (genius!)

today was the birth day of america. several wonderful friends came over to eat and laugh and drink and watch fireworks. it was great.

the hit of the night was the sangria - what a perfectly refreshing drink for a hot night outdoors for a BBQ, fireworks and general nostalgia about our home country!

i originally got this recipe from my awesome friend allen brown.

1 bottle chilled White Wine
1 White Peach
1 Green Apple
2 Oranges
~ 6 oz. Gingerale
~ 1/3 c. Sugar
~ 1 T. Ground Cinnamon

First put wine in pitcher - add sugar and cinnamon and stir until well mixed. Dice peach & apple (1/2 in. cubes). Slice 1 Orange. Squeeze Juice from other orange. Mix, chill, & serve. Can serve over ice or not. Extra fruit can be used as garnish.

Picture 165: Flank Steak

2011-07-03T21:23:00.000-07:00

Dinner tonight was brought to you by the crock pot (shocker!)

flank steak stuffed with apple, feta and almonds.

i give it a giant YUM!!!!!!!!!!!! seriously. so good. so so freaking good. and really easy. the taste is subtle but delicious and refreshing. it was the perfect supper for a hot summer day.

3lbs flank steak
1/2 c honey
1/2 c gluten-free soy sauce
3/4 c feta cheese, crumbled
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 green apple diced (no need to peel)
1/3 cup raw almonds, chopped

Put the flank steak in a plastic ziplock bag with the honey and soy sauce and marinate overnight.

In the morning, combine the feta cheese, garlic, green apple and chopped almonds in a mixing bowl. Pour the flank steak and marinade into the crock pot. Remove the meat from the marinade, and put it on a cutting board. Put a handful or two of the cheese filling in the middle of the flank and roll it up (the more you can stuff in there the better!!) Return the meat to the crock, steam-side down. (If you need to, you can use toothpicks or skewers to secure it). Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for about 4 hours.

Slice and serve! The extra feta, apple, garlic and almonds make for a great salad topping!

Picture 164: I love America

2011-07-02T23:50:00.000-07:00

Cha loves America. So much that she shares her birthday every year with her. How selfless. Then again, America looks good on her.

Picture 163: HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHA

2011-07-01T22:57:00.001-07:00

Remember that one time I was going to blog a picture everyday and then got really busy so I stopped??
I do. Oops.
So I guess I decided to take the month of June off. But I'm back again now. So you can stop crying yourself to sleep.
It is Cha's birthday week so the girls went to La Luna Negra for dinner. Soooooo good.

pastors lives and christian wives

2011-06-21T16:46:00.001-07:00

Conversation in the office today:

Guy: "How long has it been since you've blogged"

Me: "awhile. my problem is i need prompts. i don't do well just coming up with a topic."

Guy: "Blog about why chicks who play the bagpipes make better christian wives"

Me: "that is the worst topic I've ever heard of"

Other Guy: "I think you meant why LADIES who play the bagpipes make better PASTORS wives"

Me: "cause then they can play at al the funerals?"

Other Guy: "and lead worship"

…so this is my blog about it.

Picture 162: perfection

2011-06-11T20:38:00.000-07:00

Picture 161: cupcakes

2011-06-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

in case you were wondering...this is what 1,100 cupcakes looks like

Picture 160: advertising

2011-06-09T18:27:00.000-07:00

i am not sure a tag line of "hosting your affair" is what you want to communicate reliability and trust...

This photo taken by Kludt!

Picture 159: walk of fame

2011-06-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

specca is here!!! and we love sandra bullock.

Picture 158: sand castle!

2011-06-07T20:09:00.000-07:00

fun day at the beach.

Picture 157: He is risen!

2011-06-06T23:02:00.000-07:00

My favorite part of the stations of the cross! And this depiction is especially powerful...you can even walk in to the empty tomb!

Picture 156: freaky

2011-06-05T22:07:00.000-07:00

this guy is convinced that if you buy your pet a pair of sunglasses they'll love it and never try to take them off. apparently it was true of his. weird.

Picture 155: palm springs

2011-06-04T21:59:00.000-07:00

this weekend some of the girls went to palm springs for lizzy's bachelorette weekend!! lots of fun laying in the sun, playing in the pool, eating good food, drinking great drinks, and some interesting dancing! all in all - a wonderful weekend!

Picture 154: juice!

2011-06-03T17:55:00.000-07:00

today our office went to whole foods and visited the juice bar. raw juice....weird. i bet it was good for me, but it sure was interesting.
mine is the bright pink one. it is orange juice, beets, spinach, apples, ginger and pear.

Picture 153: pipes

2011-06-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

Picture 152: content

2011-06-01T17:46:00.000-07:00

Picture 151: BBQ

2011-05-31T17:43:00.000-07:00

carne asada BBQ...whatever that cheesy peppery stuff is on top of my tortilla...I need to learn how to make it!!

Picture 150: my best face

2011-05-30T17:40:00.000-07:00

best shot of the weekend? i think so...

Picture 149: Specca is a bride!

2011-05-29T17:35:00.000-07:00

most gorgeous bride i've ever seen....

Picture 148: family

2011-05-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

Today, my marmie and brother drove up from Illinois for the wedding. so i got to hang out with them all afternoon!

Picture 147: flowers

2011-05-27T17:28:00.000-07:00

today we got up early and went to the flower market. we are going to make all the bouquets ourselves.

So Pretty!!!

Picture 146: Specca!!

2011-05-26T17:23:00.000-07:00

Today I flew to Minnesota to be with my bestest Specca for her WEDDING!!!! She picked me up at the airport and we went to Chino Latino for a late happy hour! Let the festivities begin!!

Picture 145: be inspired

2011-05-25T19:58:00.000-07:00

Picture 144: playing in the hammock

2011-05-24T22:45:00.001-07:00

hammocks!
sunshine!
schuh time!

Picture 143: flying

2011-05-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

Picture 142: laguna

2011-05-22T22:41:00.000-07:00

on our way home from san diego, elijah and i stopped off in laguna beach for a couple of hours. *sigh. if only every weekend could be so relaxing and rejuvinating.

Picture 141: dinner

2011-05-21T22:36:00.000-07:00

JK and i went to go meet up with some peeps down in chula vista for dinner. it was a wonderful time with food, fun and laughter. and even a homemade cheesecake!!

Picture 140: JK

2011-05-20T22:30:00.000-07:00

I am late in posting pictures this weekend because I got to go to San Diego to visit my favoritests JK. We drank wine, chatted, laughed, went to the beach, ate, drove, hung out with other friends, took photos and just enjoyed a relaxing weekend. True friends you can talk to about anything and are bold enough to speak truth into your life are a rare rare gift. I love my JK.

Picture 139: bugs and logs and nature

2011-05-19T13:56:00.000-07:00

Picture 138: breaking down walls

2011-05-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

i went to work on wednesday and there was a stone wall at the end of my driveway...i came back...and it was gone! just a little spring cleaning. i will say, it is much easier to back out now without worrying i will run into something :) i was going to try to show you a before and after - but i couldn't find a before shot. apparently i do not take pictures of my driveway that often! go figure.

Picture 137: me

2011-05-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

my friend lizzo took this picture of me. i think my nose looks weird. but i also kind of like it. also, i didn't take a picture today - so i am stealing this one from her and being narcissistic.

Picture 136: nature loves beer too

2011-05-16T19:42:00.000-07:00

don't even think mother nature doesn't get thirsty for a little something other than water every now and then.

Picture 135: tri-tip

2011-05-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

i made this for dinner...in my crock pot. yummm.

tri-tip with sun dried tomatoes and feta.

throw a 2lb piece of tri-tip on your crock pot
put an 8 oz (drained) jar of sun dried tomatoes on top
crumble 8 oz feta on top of that
pour 1/3 cup dry white wine over all of it

let it cook on low for 6-10 hours (i did six)

SO EASY! the meat was SUPER tender. and it was quite tasty. i thought the meat could have used a bit more flavor...but it turned out to be really good leftovers. i had sandwiches for lunch.

Picture 134: swings

2011-05-14T22:29:00.003-07:00

I have posted this picture several places today but still decided to use it as my picture of the day because it makes me so happy. Swinging is fun, I love Haven and nothing is better than the smiling and giggling of a little girl. Let's go back to the park again soon!

Picture 133: bathroom

2011-05-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

this bathroom really confuses me. it is located in my office building. and as you can see, there is an extra chair in it. as you can also probably tell, it is a one-seater toilet. WHY is there another chair in there? i realize there is a stereotype with women always going the bathroom together, but this time i think we've gone a little too far. i don't need my girlfriend sitting right next to me as i do my business so we can catching up on our gabbing. the next stall away is one thing - but this is just ridiculous.

Picture 132: dessert

2011-05-12T21:55:00.000-07:00

best.dessert.ever.
From Senor Fish: fried plantians with fresh strawberries and cream.
i.am.died.

Picture 131: diagram

2011-05-11T17:49:00.000-07:00

we did really hard work in the office today. we made a mock up of the cupcake set up we want to have for our graduation ceremony for our doctoral students. you see, for the special hooding ceremony we have just for our doctor of ministry graduates we have decided to cater in 1000 cupcakes! it is going to be delicious, and beautiful - but we have to set them all up. and so the great minds in our office got together to decide the most aesthetically pleasing way to set them up. i think we're really on to something....

Picture 130: FINISHED!!!

2011-05-10T19:27:00.001-07:00

this is the best letter one could ever get in the mail. bye bye bethel university!!

...now on to my graduate loans.

Picture 129: oranges

2011-05-09T21:28:00.001-07:00

I freaking love oranges!!!

Picture 128: happy mothers day?

2011-05-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

i think i figured out the worst gift i could ever get my mothers for mother's day. i, on the other hand, need to find someone to pretend they're my daughter so i can cash in on this!!

happy mother's day everyone (or....at least those of you who are mothers)

Picture 127: Coffee

2011-05-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

Haven joined me and the girls for coffee today. SO FUN!

Picture 126: field of flowers

2011-05-06T20:28:00.001-07:00

Kludt in a field of flowers. What more could you want?

Picture 125: goodnight

2011-05-05T23:35:00.001-07:00

I forgot to take a photo today, so you get..."what my bedroom looks like at night." That cool glowing light is my fan. So much depth......

Picture 124: CBTB

2011-05-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

love me some local coffee shop goodness.

Picture 123: nepali food

2011-05-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

sometimes you just need a little tibet nepal house

Picture 122: campus tour

2011-05-02T20:31:00.000-07:00

i got to give a bunch of brazilian pastors a tour of fuller's campus today. and it was a delight. they were so eager, joyful, and encouraging. i can't wait for them to come here.

Picture 121: byeeee yosemite

2011-05-01T19:36:00.000-07:00

goodbye nature. i'll miss you

Picture 120: bear attack! minus the attack

2011-04-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

WE SAW A BEAR!!!!!!

Picture 119: Yosemite

2011-04-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

Picture 118: Anticipation

2011-04-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

I went to Yosemite this weekend!! We arrived on Thursday afternoon....driving down the tunnel around the corner to approach the breath taking view.

Anticipation.

Picture 117: ROYALTY!!!!

2011-04-27T21:02:00.001-07:00

I freaking love royalty!

Seeeeriously love them.

Judge me all you want. I want Kate's hair!

Picture 116: prayer flags

2011-04-26T21:51:00.000-07:00

Picture 115: corkboard

2011-04-25T21:36:00.000-07:00

Picture 114: nature

2011-04-24T22:55:00.000-07:00

Picture 113: girl time

2011-04-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

i love my time with the girls.

Picture 112: errands

2011-04-22T22:03:00.000-07:00

running errands is not so bad when you can walk a bit and it's a lovely day.

Picture 111: The Rose Bowl

2011-04-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

Mukhtaran Mai

2011-04-21T11:01:00.000-07:00

Mukhtaran Mai is a beautiful, inspiring and strong woman. My prayers are with her today and always as she continues to fight for her right to speak out against the injustices done against her. May God protect her and bring justice to those who now walk freely.

READ the story here.

Picture 110: guacamole

2011-04-20T21:21:00.000-07:00

i WAS going to take a picture of the fresh guacamole and delicious margarita i devoured this evening. but, well, i devoured it. and didn't manage to take the picture until after I had finished it. you'll just have to trust me that it was beautiful and SOOOOOOO GOOD! the only thing that would have made it better is if my dad had been there :)

Picture 109: neighborhood streets

2011-04-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

Female Genital Mutilation

2011-04-19T16:08:00.000-07:00

does it seem impossible that this is still going on? how do we advocate for the rights of women while still appreciating and creating a sensitivity to cultural tradition? is there a way for women to both get married and remain uncircumcised?

Picture 108: coming home

2011-04-18T22:10:00.000-07:00

there's nothing like coming home after a long day away...

picture 107: hiking

2011-04-17T21:58:00.000-07:00

a little sunday morning hike.
i love nature.
and sun.
and movement.
and flowers.
and water.
and trails.
and exploring.

Picture 106: bees

2011-04-16T21:59:00.001-07:00

bees like flowers